Joey's Bad Day
by Yanagi-wa
Summary: Joey never fights unless he is really forced to, find out why. oneshot


This story woke me up in the middle of the night, demanding to be written. So here it is. 

If you have read the manga, you know that Joey was a really tough kid who got his act together. But why? This story tells that tale.

Katsuya the Fist

The last bell had just rung and Yugi Muto was getting his books together with his head half in and half out of his locker. "Hey, Jou come on. Let's go to the arcade before we go home." "Nah, Ain't got no money." Yugi didn't offer to lend him any, his pride wouldn't accept it and some times led to an explosion of temper.

Hiroto Honda stuck his head around the edge of his locker. "Jou, I'll lend you some. You can....." Honda shut up, blinking at Jounuchi. The look in his eyes was scarey. Blank and cold, like he really didn't see at all.

"Fuck you, Honda! Ya' tink I'm some charity case?. Can't go! Piss off!" Jounuchi slammed his locker door. When it bounced back, he rammed it shut with his shoulder leaving a dent in it. 

Yugi turned his head to look at Hiroto "Honda-Kun, you shouldn't have done that. You know how sensitive he is about money. But I do think that he over reacted just a little. What could be wrong?" Yugi's smooth brow furrowed with worry. He loved Jou like the brother he never had, and when he was unhappy Yugi wanted to fix it. Honda looked at his watch. "Oh, shit! Today's the 25th of May." Yugi just gave him a puzzled look. "Look Yugi I don't know why but every year for the last five years Jou has just been a real bastard on this date. Bustin' things hidden' out and generally actin' like a jerk. Better just leave him alone. He'll be better tomorrow." Honda gathered his books and headed off. "Meet you at the arcade. Later!"

Yugi gazed after his friend. Honda was really nice, but not the most perceptive of guys. Something was really wrong with Jou and Yugi intended to find out what it was. After asking around a little, Yugi found Jou at the bottom of a channelized river. Lots of gangs used to fight out there until the police fenced it off. Not many kids in Domino High had the nerve to go against the police and other gangs had turf nearer their schools, so it was deserted.

Jou blew out a plume of cigarette smoke. Without turning his head he snarled, "Yugi what the fuck do ya' want? I'd like ta' be alone! IF ya' don't mind. I'm in no mood fer' compny an' you don't wanna' be round me, the mood I'm in." Jou hid his eyes behind his bangs. He didn't need Yugi around right now, his relentless need to know, and ruthless questioning wasn't going to make this day any better. Jou didn't want to hurt his friend, but ..."Go the Fuck away ya' little pest. Bug me ta' day an' I'll give ya' a bang in da' mush!"

Yugi hung his head. Joey was really mad. "Joey, if it would make you feel better to punch me. Go right ahead. You've always been there for me and I'd like to be there for you. Let me help you. Please!" Tears gathered in the corners of Yugi's amethyst eyes. "I don't know what I did to make you so mad but I'm sorry! Really sorry! If you would tell me what it was I'll fix it, really I will"

Jou slammed his fist down on his thigh. "Yugi, It's not you! It's me! Just give me some peace, will ya'?! I don't wanna' talk about it!" Jou clamped his lips together so hard they turned blue around the outside. He rubbed his thigh and took another drag off the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Jounuchi! I didn't know you smoked! Hey, You've hurt yourself! Here let me rub it for you." Yugi reached out to rub Jou's thigh. "Damn it! Get offa' me. Yugi, ya' perv' people'll get the wrong idea......... Aw, shit! Yug' don't cry. I'm a real bastard ta'day. Come here!" Jounuchi dried Yugi's cheeks with the palm of his hand. "Sit down here and be quiet for a while." Jou smoked in silence for a while, until Yugi started to squirm.

Jou didn't know what to do. If he told; Yugi would hate him, or worse be afraid of him. But if he didn't, it would create a rift between them that might never heal. "Yugi, if I tell ya' somethin' really bad. Do ya' tink ya' could forgive me? I wannna tell someone. I really need to talk about dis', but......I'm ....well.......I'm afraid. Der' I said it! I'm afraid ya'll hate me or sumpin'" "Yugi blinked at Jou for a moment, it was really bad. Jou wasn't afraid of much of anything but his father, a little, and the police. "Oh, Jou, you're my best friend in all the world. I could never hate you. No matter what you've done, I'm sure we can figure it out together. Please, you can talk to me."

Jonuchi dragged smoke into his lungs, letting it trickle out his nostrils and then sucking it back in through his mouth. "I don't even know how to start. This is the worst day of the year for me. And the worst day of my life, ever." Another drag off the cigarette. He took another cigarette out of the package by his side and lit it off the butt. "I'm such a fuck-up! Ya' can't even begin ta know!"

Yugi had waited while his friend smoked and thought, but this was too much. "Jounuchi Katsuya, you're not either. Gozaburo. The big five...." "No, Yug', they were Bad guys! Not reckless fools! Punk fuckers, gettn' themselves in trouble 'cause they were havin' 'fun'." Jou closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them, Yugi saw such a look of sadness and despair that he thought his heart would break. He patted Jou's shoulder and wished for some idea of what he could do to help. 'I promise that I won't hate you. Really! No matter what you did, I know that you have a good heart. You didn't mean for it to turn out badly. Please tell me. Maybe I can figure out something."

Jou took Yugi's hand and held it for a moment. Then he folded his hand around his friends much smaller one and squeezed, not hard, but Yugi really felt the strength in his hands for the first time. "Flatten out your hand! Go on. Hold it out here, by mine." Jou put his hand next to Yugi's. Jou's hand was large and wide, the knuckles prominent and calloused, the palm rough, long fingers curled slightly. In comparison Yugi's hand was tiny, with a smooth narrow palm and long elegant fingers. "Ya' know why I can't straighten out my fingers? I messed up the tendons. Fightn'! Punchn' stuff, like boards." Yugi blinked at Jou. "Stop lookn' at me like ya' was a owl 'er somepin' Y' dope! Y'wan' proof. OK! Cum' 'ear. Hold dis." The more upset Jonouchi got the worse his accent got. Some times Yugi had trouble understanding him at all. Like now. "Jou, I'm sorry. I can't understand half what you are saying. You want me to hold a board?" "No, ya' dope. I wan' ya' ta' hol' my cig. Here take it. it don't bite." Yugi took the cigarette with a moue of distaste, holding it between the tips of index finger and thumb. Jou shook his head, took the cigarette back and stuck it in the corner of his mouth. "Jou, could you get rid of that thing. Cigarets will kill you. You ought to stop smoking.", Yugi fussed. "Yug' tink! Do I smoke? When do ya'ever see me wit' a butt in my mout' Only today, and I can't make it through this day wit' out it. Drop It!" Yugi wisely dropped the subject, they had bigger fish to fry, as his Grampa said.

While he was talking, Jou had propped several boards up around a step-back in the concrete walls of the river. "Ok, little buddy! Watch and learn." Jou spit out the last of the cigarette and dropped into a boxers stance. With powerful punches, he shattered them all. Then he quickly set up more and broke them with kicks. He moved like a battering ram. No elegance, no grace; just pure power. Yugi looked at Jou in amazement. "I didn't know you studied Martial Arts. That was amazing! Why don't you enter the school Martial Arts club?" "Can't! I'm on parol for 2 more years. As long as I'm on parol I can't enter any fightin' clubs. An' I don' wanna anyway."

Yugi looked shocked, his lips moved silently parole, on parole. "Joey you mean probation!" Naw! I don't mean probation. I'm on parole!! OK, I guess I got ta' 'fess up now! But I really don' know how ta' start or even where." Jou knuckled his eyes as if to erase some horrible sight. "Maybe if I tell it like it happened ta' some one else, kinda' like wha' da' ya' call it? Toid person? Then I tink I can get it out. Hang wit' me some here." Joey chewed on his lip, leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest, almost hugging himself. The last cigarette he had thrust between his lips, unlit, was removed and tucked behind his ear as he cleared his throat and began.

"I'll tell it this way:"

"Hey, Hirutani, move over" "Fuck ya'!" "Naw! Ya're too ugly, an' ya' stink." "Gimme' ciggy!. I'm out." "Buy your own, mooch."

And so another day in the life of Katsuya the Fist began. (1) 

Hirutani {_You 'member him don't ya'_?}(2) was the so-called leader of a gang of punk kids from Rintama Middle School. But don't let that fool you. These kids weren't your average punks, they were the toughest kids in Domino City, even some of the high school age toughs were afraid of them. They would fight anyone and mostly won. They always held their own.

In their opinion the day started somewhere around 7pm. School was skipped as often as possible and the only ones they respected were themselves, as much as they respected anyone.

"Fist! I hear the pussy-pull had you in his office. How many did he give you this time?" 

"Yo, the turd gimme' a dozen Juicy ones. I'll be sittin' light for the night." Katsuya swiped a pack of cigarets from the nearby display and stuck them in a pocket. "My old man hits harder in his sleep. If he'd done it. I'd be unconscious. I hate him. I can't wait to get old, or dead. Ha! Ha! Ha! Live fast, die young, and leave the funeral expenses to the old goat, I always say. Gimme' light!" 

The pack of young toughs blocked the door squabbling and fighting to see who went out first. Hirutani and Katsuya went out first, shoulder to shoulder. The rest nursed bruises as they followed.

Hirutani looked the pack of kids over. "I need ta' know if any of ya' are cowards. I need ta' know now. We got a big one on our hands tonight. The Dockman's Free School has challenged us ta' a fight in the river channel over by Domino High. Those fuckers are all mean as hell and think they 're big shit. They even have knives." 

Katsuya pulled a silvery object from his pocket. A quick flick of his wrist, a twist and he had a glittering blade in his hand. _"Joey, you had a knife!" "Yeh, Yug", I still got it, right here" Joey produced the knife, demonstrating the fluttering motions he had just described with an unconscious skill producing a glittering deadly length of steel. "Can I see it! Can I hold it? Let me !" " Ok, Yugi, here. No! Don't grab the blade ya' dumb jack-ass! Gimme' back that ting 'fore ya' cut off a finger! Shit! Sometimes ya' really make me wonder!"_ _Joey took back the knife and flipped it over the back of his hand rolling it from thumb to little finger, then he let it drop catching it by the hilt before the tip stuck into his thigh. Yugi felt a cold shiver run up his spine. This wasn't the Joey he knew. This was some hard eyed stranger wearing Joey's face. "Story! Back to the story, please!" "Ok" Another flick of the wrist closed the knife back up. Joey tucked it back into a pocket._

"We'll all need some kind of weapon_. _The Dockmen all have one. Get bats, pipes, knives, anyting. Meet me at the river in 2 hours. 'Dey'll be dere. Make sure to watch each- udder's backs and gang up on as many uh 'dem as ya' can. Get 'dis, a fair fight is a lost fight. Don't ferget! I wanna' see blood. Katsuya! Use that knife. Keep your fists for if ya' lose it.!"

"Nah! I like ta' use my fists! The feel of meat mashin' under 'em. Bone crunchin' Gives me a trill. Almost as good as You Know What." " _No, I don't know what. What are you talking about?" "Yug, Ya' can't be dat innocent! Y' doof!" "Oh! That! Can I have a puff? Please?" "Ya' sure ya' wanna'?" Gives cigarette to Yugi. "COUGH! HACK! WHEEZE!" "Didn't tink ya'd like it! Gimme'!"_

At around 10pm the gangs gathered in the river bed. Fighting began almost immediately with each gang running at the other. They milled, around groups from each side doubling and even tripleing up on individuals who had separated from the main group _"Yug' I can't keep dis up"_. 

Joey realized that tears were running down his cheeks. "What a bum. Can't even tell a story right" He swipped at his tears with the backs of his hands and sniffed. "Well, I'm goin' on . We was fighitn' like we always did. Gangin' up on guys. One on one's an' four 'n five just sluggin' it out like crazy.

"I got one guy, and he was a real hard case. Had to be 6 feet tall and weigh in at 180 or so. We was really going at it and I was winnin'. I could feel his flesh mashin' under my fists and I was likin' it. Then it happened. I kicked him in the leg and felt it just snap, like a stick. I even heard it. I still hear it, in my nightmares."

"Somebody must a' heard us fightin' cause the cops showed up 'bout then. They had guns, an throwed down on us in a big way. Spot lights. The whole shootin' match. When they asked who broke dat guys' leg. Hirutani squealed on me like a pig. I got arrested. Everyone else got hauled in, in a paddy wagon. But they had somethin' special planned for me. Put me in cuffs and stuffed me in the back of a squad car. The whole way to the station I was just thinkin' I'm a juvy' I'll get out of this like I always do. But this time they decided to make a big example of someone and dat someone was me."

"Instead of callin' my dad, they got me a lawyer and pushed the trial through........almost like a kangaroo court. With all the guys in both gangs in the gallery, they hauled me into the court room in leg irons and a belly chain. That really impressed the judge. There I stood. Bruises on my face and bloody, skinned up knuckles I was sentenced by 8 in the morning. Seven years in prison. They charged me with attempted manslaughter. Tried me as an adult. So Yugi, do ya' hate me yet. I crippled that guy. I broke his leg...no I shattered the bone, so bad that they had to amputate it just below the knee." Jou turned his head away, he couldn't stand to see Yugi turn away in fear, disgust, or hate 

Yugi put one hand on each of Jou's cheeks and forced him to look up. "Jou, how horrible. You must have suffered so. It's just awful! I'm sure that you didn't realize how bad it would come out. I can't hate you, and I'm certainly not afraid of you. I forgive you. You have only used your strength and skills to help and protect me, and Anzu. Even Honda. Don't look so sad. Maybe you could find that guy, help him some how. You can't continue to live with guilt like this." "I gotta'. You know Yamagutchi Soto? The magazine stand I won't go near? That's the guy! He forgave me, too. When I was in prison." Yugi looked puzzled. " Jou? Ummm, I hate to bring this up. But if you got seven years, how can you be here." Yugi jumped up, looking around with a panicked expression. "No! You escaped! You gotta' go back. If they find you......." Jou grabbed Yugi by the arm and pulled him back to the ledge they had been sitting on. "Yugi, sit down! Down! I said! I only spent ninety days of my sentence in lock-up. Some kinda' American style scared straight thing."

It was the worst experience of my life. Nothing to do but sit in a cell and stare at four walls,exercise and think. I did a lot a' all three. I was so young that they didn't dare put me in the population. They'd a' killed me out right. So I was Sequestered" "What's that. Like some special place" "Yeah, Yugi. A special corner a' hell, just for me. Twenty-three hours a day in that eight by eight cell. One hour to shower, walk around and see the sky. Everything I needed, food, clean clothes, whatever. Was handed to me through a slot in the door. If I didn't do as I was told. Well, never mind that you'll just start cryin' again an' I can't stand that. I'm not worth one tear. And you could cry a river an' it wouldn't change what I am. A real screw up! Now you know why I don't worry too much about my grades. No one will hire me. I got a record. I fucked up my whole life for a thrill. Oh, I learned better, I had a shrink while I was inside. Fucker was so scared of me that he talked to me through the door of my cell. I never even saw him. How's that for a real charge? But the prick knew his business. I got my shit together. When I went for my parole hearing, I played it straight. Told the judge the truth and he told me I could get out if I thought I could keep out of trouble."

And that's how I wound up at Domino. I told him that if I went back to my old school there was no way I could stay out of trouble. He got me transferred to Domino and I been straight ever since. So, you see how it is, this is the day I tossed my life away. I can't stand it...." Jou broke down, put his head in his hands and cried.

Yugi finally poked and pushed Jou until he was lying on his side with his head in Yugi's lap. "Please don't cry, Jou, you'll have me crying too. Don't you have a parole officer? Maybe you could talk to him. He'll help you." Jou gulped back his tears and sat back up, this was almost the worst part of his story. " I ain't got a real parole officer. I was released into my dad's custody. So now you know why I put up with his shit. He can send me back inside with just one phone call. So I do what he says and wait. I deserve it" Yugi shook his head. "Yeah, I do. I betrayed every thing that is good and right for a few thrills and a false feeling of power. So now I won't fight unless I'm forced to. Why do you think I let Honda do so much of the fighting when we get in trouble? If I get caught I'm back inside. If I hurt anyone, same thing. I can't go back there, Yug' I really can't. I tink I'd go insane." 

"In one night I crippled one man, and killed another." Yugi looked at Jou in horror, mouthing 'killed?' "Yeah, I crippled Soto. And I killed Katsuya the Fist. May he rest in peace.............or not!"

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(1) In the American tv show his name is Joey Wheeler in the manga it is Katsuya Jonouchi.

(2) Read manga #2

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